


If You Fall

by keelywolfe



Series: by any other name [7]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underfell, Alternate Universe - Underswap, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Terrorism, M/M, Original Undertale Character(s) - Freeform, Prejudice Against Monsters (Undertale), Spicyhoney - Freeform, Underfell Papyrus, Underswap Papyrus, Undertale Monsters on the Surface, Violence, Violence against monsters, papcest - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-06-13 02:01:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15353748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keelywolfe/pseuds/keelywolfe
Summary: Jeff shouldn't get his news from the internet.





	If You Fall

**Author's Note:**

> If you fall  
> I will catch you  
> I'll be waiting  
> time after time
> 
>  
> 
> Cyndi Lauper; _Time After Time_

* * *

One of the nicer things about working in a book store was that you were never exactly what could be called busy. Sure, there was work to be done but it wasn't like the world was going to end if Jeff didn't finish cataloguing a new shipment by the end of the day. 

If he had a complaint it would be that it wasn't exactly exciting work and later he would have time to regret thinking that. 

"Jeffry?" 

Jeff looked up from the order he was processing. "Hey, what's up? Something wrong with your phone?"

Before Jeff had started here, Thomas had only had a land line and a severe case of distrust for all things technical. He hadn't let it affect his business, luckily, and Jeff wasn't the first guy who'd helped out with his online orders. He was the first person to convince Thomas that cell phones weren't devices of the damned and only a couple of weeks after getting a smart phone, Thomas had been converted. Jeff suspected that he had Netflix to thank for his change of opinion. 

Only now he was standing with his cell phone in hand, his expression one of deep concern. "No. No, you should watch this."

"Okay, let's see it," Jeff dusted off his pants and set the phone on the counter, pressing the play button on the screen. A long moment passed as the video buffered and then a news reporter appeared with the view of a high fence in the distance behind her. A fence with a guard post, Jeff realized, one that he recognized. 

"This afternoon a group of humans violated a treaty with Monsters by entering New New Home and assaulting the Monster residents there," she said, gravely. "None of the assailants' names have been released yet, but there are least five humans in custody and several Monsters have been reported injured. Information on the incident is still incoming. We do have reports that one of the injured is a skeleton Monster, Papyrus, who was also involved in an incident earlier this month on a public bus. There is no word as to whether these incidents are linked."

The video stopped, the newscaster frozen on the screen. Numbly, Jeff handed Thomas back his phone and fumbled for his own. It took him two tries to unlock it, his hand shaking as he scrolled through his contact list to Antwan's name and pressed dial. It hardly rang once before picking up.

"He’s fine," Antwan didn’t bother with a greeting. "I was going to call you but I can see fucking press beat me to it. They weren't supposed to release his god damn name; I haven't even gotten ahold of Blue yet."

"Jesus," Jeff breathed out. He pressed his hand to his forehead, relief leaving him weak and almost nauseous. "What the hell happened?" 

"Sweetheart, I'll tell you everything later, it's a shitshow down here right now."

"Where? Where are you?"

Antwan made a low sound, short and frustrated. "Ebott General, but, look, I don’t know if you want to come down here right now, there’s press and police everywhere

"Ebott General," Jeff repeated. "I want to come. If Stretch doesn’t mind. Is he even awake?" He'd said he was going to be Stretch's friend, damn it. This was what friends did.

"Off and on," Antwan sighed, "Fuck. Yeah, okay, come down. Text me when you get to the front desk, I’ll come get you. Bring your badge, they aren’t going to let you up without it."

"I have it." They hung up without saying goodbye and Jeff was already walking to the back room for his coat. Thomas had vanished into his office somewhere in the middle of his phone call and Jeff rapped sharply on the door before opening it. 

"I need to go," Jeff started, and stopped, watching Thomas putting on his own coat. 

"Ebott General, I heard," Thomas said, picking up a heavy ring of keys. "Come, I'll drop you off."

"You'd have to close the shop," Jeff protested.

"And if you take the bus, it may take you hours to get there," Thomas countered. "Who knows if the buses are even running? Stretch is one of my best customers and my friend. If he wants you there, you will be there."

It was only as he tugged on his own jacket that Jeff remembered that Antwan had called him sweetheart.

* * *

Thomas drove an old Cadillac like any good senior should, the engine thrumming as he cruised through the traffic. By mutual silent agreement they left the radio off and rode in silence. It was less a choice and more from shock as they approached the hospital to see the walkways crowded with people, some in uniforms and many who weren't. Some of them were carrying signs and Jeff had to look away, swallowing thickly, when his eye caught one that said, 'Ashes to ashes, monsters to dust!'

Jesus.

A police officer stopped them and Thomas rolled down his window. The officer ducked his head in to be heard over the clamor outside, "If you need to go to the ER, you'll have to go down the other loop.

"I need to get into the Monster's wing," Jeff said. He held up the laminated card Edge had given him and for a brief moment, he was afraid. Afraid that the officer wouldn't let them through or worse, he'd detain them somehow, arrest them for being friends with Monsters, and they hadn't been horrible before when he'd been arrested but neither had they been particularly kind and—

The officer took the card and studied it, nodding, "Yeah, they radioed down that you were coming. Your friend can drop you off by the doors but he can't go in, all right?"

"Yes, officer, thank you," Thomas said politely. He eased off the brake as the officer stepped back, pulling up to the curb. "Keep me updated, yes?"

"I will," Jeff promised. He kept his head down, ignoring any yells in his direction as he walked quickly into the hospital. The artificially cool air was a relief against his overheated face and there was another guard at the door who checked his ID again before nodding him through. Through the doorway was a normal hospital Reception desk, except for the person sitting at the desk was clearly a monster, horns curling over their head. They looked up at his approach, their pupiless eyes wide. 

"It's okay, Tracey, he's here with me." Antwan came out from a room and Jeff drank in the sight of him guiltily. His shirt was rumpled and he looked exhausted but he was here and not hurt, and he gave Jeff a quick, hard hug. 

"Come on, let's not talk here," Antwan said, low. He did thread his fingers into Jeff and led him through a few corridors. They passed a few other people, all in white coats, humans and Monsters alike. Two humans in uniforms were standing outside the door that Antwan led him to, the patches on their shoulders the official symbol of Monsterkind. They nodded at Antwan and let both of them through the doorway. 

The room was darkened, the curtain half-drawn around the hospital bed. Cautiously, Jeff stepped further in. On the other side of the curtain, he could see Edge sitting at the side of the bed, his head bowed over one of Stretch's hands held in both of his.

Bags were hanging from an IV stand, filled with something that glowed faintly blue and where did you put an IV on a skeleton? The tubes wound under the blanket and that same odd, soft glow was coming from beneath it. 

Edge didn't move but his eye lights flicked briefly towards them. He seemed tired, a shadow of darkness under his sockets and his tie was loosened and hanging in a tangle around his neck. 

"Is he okay?" Jeff asked, hardly more than a whisper. It still seemed too loud in the silence of the room. 

"He’s just exhausted," Edge said quietly. "Rus has a lot of magic but he depleted it with repeated teleports."

"Teleporting?" Jeff repeated, in confusion. "What was he doing?"

"Grabbing kids," Antwan said from behind him. He sank down in another chair with a weary sigh, his legs sprawled out in front of him. "All the kids who were outside, Stretch was teleporting with them to the school. There’s a safe room there."

"It was the only thing he could do. You wouldn't know it, but he’s not bad in a fight," Edge said. His voice was so low, so calm. But Jeff could see the faintest tremor in his hands, the way his fingers moved restlessly over Stretch's. "But he had no idea how many humans were there and the children would have been caught in the crossfire."

"i’m trying to sleep, you know," Stretch grumbled, drawing their attention. He opened his sockets and his eye lights seemed dim and hazy. He turned his hand over in Edge's, twining their fingers together. "hey, there, lover."

"Hey, yourself," Edge smoothed the blanket over him, pulling it up a fraction higher. "If you didn't want to do the laundry today, you could have just said so."

Stretch gave him a faint smile. "i'll remember that for next time." He squeezed Edge's hand, the bones of their fingers clicking softly. "sorry, i scared you, babe."

"I’d be angry if I wasn’t so proud of you," Edge huffed. "You—"

The door swung open and he fell silent, already on his feet, one eye glowing a fiery red and Jeff automatically stumbled back, out of the way. A large, imposing figure filled the doorway and Jeff swallowed hard, his heart hammering in his chest. 

Edge relaxed and sank back into his seat, his eye lights dimming to normal, "Asgore." 

"oh, great," Stretch sighed, and he closed his sockets, "tell him i'm sleeping."

Asgore. The King of all Monsters, Jesus. Jeff took another step away, easing his way back to stand next to Antwan's chair. He flinched when a hand touched his, only barely managing not to jerk away when Antwan curled their fingers together, squeezing gently. 

"He can hear you, Stretch," Antwan said, wearily amused. 

"i know. hey, do i get to sign an apology for this, too?" Stretch asked acidly. "maybe i should have held still and dusted for them."

"Stretch, come on, man—"

"It’s all right," Asgore said. His voice was deep, a second cousin to James Earl Jones, and he sounded exhausted, following the theme of the day. "His anger is not misplaced." He stepped further into the room, and Jeff could see his shoulders were hunched; it made his hulking size seem to take up less room that it should. "I'm relieved that you weren't seriously hurt. You and the children."

"yeah, i know." Whatever anger Stretch had, he didn't seem able to maintain it. He sank back against the pillows and his skull seemed pale even against the whiteness of the sheets.

That weary sadness seemed like a weight that Asgore was used to carrying. He brightened a little when he turned and saw Jeff, a smile lightening his features, "Ah, howdy! We haven’t met but Antwan and Edge have both spoken of you."

"They did?" Jeff said, inanely, and inwardly cringed. Yeah, first time meeting a King and that's what he managed. 

"yeah, andy," Stretch called, dryly. "i bet they waxed poetically all over you and shit. go ahead, shake the king’s hand, that’s twitter worthy."

Asgore blinked, clearly confused. "I thought his name was Jeff."

"I go by both," Jeff offered with a lopsided grin

"He does not," Antwan nudged him, "Stop letting him win."

"okay, this is hilarious and all but you didn't come here for the jokes. did anyone get hurt?" Stretch asked, low. "i don't even know how many kids i got."

"Minor injuries, only," Asgore assured him. He grimaced faintly. "Undyne is being treated for some scrapes and bruises; she did manage to subdue the humans without fatal injury on either side."

"We've been working on her control," Edge said tiredly. "If I'd been there—"

"If you'd been there, the outcome would be the same," Asgore said pragmatically. "Minor injuries, no fatalities. Have the doctors said how long you'll be here?"

"as long as it takes to gas me up," Stretch shrugged. "getting my magic up isn't a problem but it takes a little while. low hp, they can't do it too fast or they'd have to vacuum me out of the rug."

"Stretch," Antwan said, low.

Edge's eye was glowing, his fingertips sparking, and his breath coming in sharp, short bursts.

"woah, hey, edgelord, take it easy," Stretch yelped. He tried to struggle up his elbows before sinking back down with a grimace, "i'm fine, babe, i'll be home leaving scuffs on the coffee table before you know it."

Jeff had to look away, catching Antwan's eye, and they shared a look. Yeah, that was probably the opposite of convincing. 

Antwan cleared his throat, "Yeah, you should probably get a little more rest, pal. We're going to let you sleep, okay?"

"aw, come on, i didn't even get to talk to andy," Stretch sulked. He didn't protest when Edge took his hand again, holding it gently between his own. "eh, fine, get coffee. gimmie a couple of hours and then come back, all right? this room doesn't even have netflix and i'm sick of the fucking news."

"We'll bring you a blu-ray. A comedy," Antwan promised. He grimaced as he got to his feet, pushing both hands against the small of his back as he stretched. "C'mon, let's let him sleep."

Asgore nodded and turned towards the door, since none of them could leave unless he did first, Antwan close behind him. Jeff followed and then hesitated at the edge of the curtain. He heard the blankets rustling, the chair clattering, and glance back just in time to see Edge had wrapped both arms around Stretch, his face buried against his ribcage. His fingers were clenched in Stretch's loose hospital gown, the long lines of the IV falling over his shoulder, glowing starkly against the darkness of his shirt. 

"I can’t lose you," Edge said, low. His voice was thick and grating, the words half-muffled into cloth.

"shhh, i know, i know, it's okay, lover, i'm fine," Stretch crooned, one hand settling against the curve of Edge's skull. "i'm just fine. don't you worry, i ain't going anywhere."

Jeff seemed to have a terrible knack at catching them at their most vulnerable. He stood there, transfixed, his eyes wide. Stretch met his gaze but instead of a glare, his expression was helpless, repeating the same thing over and over soothingly and petting Edge's skull, curling around him protectively, as though Edge was the one who was hurt. 

Maybe he was. 

Swallowing hard, Jeff looked away and followed after Antwan and Asgore, closing the door softly and leaving them together. 

Coffee sounded pretty fucking good right then. 

-finis-


End file.
